Hi all-
My friend was caught shoplifting at Target (in Texas) this past weeked (a big suprise to us all) she's never done anything like this before, and feels horrible. She hasn't eaten or slept much at all since then (I feel bad too, like I wasn't there for her to talk about something, and for her to release some stress in the form of shoplifting).
To make a long story short, she took an item of $12.99 value and walked through the store doors with it and then the asset protection employee asked her to come back to the office with her. They took her name/address/phone number/car make and model/license plate number and took a photograph of her. She did sign a sheet of paper admitting the theft of the $12.99 item.
The asset protection employee did not call the police (my friend is SO lucky...) however they gave her a sheet of paper with a Target case number and said that she -may- receive notice from their internal cival demand department for monetary charges they will seek to recover. The assest protection employee said that Target could cival sue my friend for this theft and that it was up to district on who they sent the letters out to.
I have a couple of questions regarding this (I hope I can find out this information and inform my friend). 1) If she doesn't get this letter in the next few months should she call back or let it go and forget about it? 2) If/when she receives this letter, should she pay the fees (right now she is planning on paying the fees) or seek legal counsel (my friend wants to avoid the court scene and is hoping that if she pays the fees all will go away)? 3) If she pays the fees will that seal the deal and then she'll be done with this incident? Or can Target come back and take her to court at a later date?
I think my friend is super lucky that Target didn't involve the police department, since the PD wasn't involved, this shouldn't be on her record correct? Just on Target's record? I doubt my friend will ever go back to that store though.
Thanks in advance for all of your advice/input. I appreciate it, and I know my friend will too.

